Mixed Signals
by emmylouuwho
Summary: A longer, equally fluffy sequel to 'Adrenaline.' Set between 5.4 & 5.5. Jess/Becker. SPOILERS up to 5.4.
1. Chapter 1

_**Author's Note: So I had an idea for a one shot sequel to 'Adrenaline' rolling around in my brain, and people seemed to like that one, so I started writing it. And of course it mutated into a giant multi-chapter bit of fluff. And since I've been sick the last few days, this was written under the influence (of DayQuil) in between reruns of MASH and As Time Goes By. Which is one good thing about being stuck at home, lots of time to write...**_

* * *

><p>Two days after the Futuristic Beetle Debacle, as Connor had christened the incident, Jess was back at work, none the worse for wear. At least physically. Emotionally was another matter.<p>

Just after Becker saved her life, getting her the adrenaline she needed, he had bolted out of the panic room. Jess had followed a few minutes later, and they'd ended up kissing before being interrupted by the medics' arrival. In the two days since then, cooped up at home on medical leave, Jess had seen neither hide nor hair of Becker. She knew he was avoiding her, avoiding the whole situation they now found themselves in. Jess had laid her cards out on the table, showing him that she obviously liked him.

Jess pulled her mug off the shelf in the break room, pouring herself what she predicted would be the first of many cups of coffee that morning. _Maybe he thinks it was the medication affecting me_, she thought, stirring cream into the steaming cup. _Or maybe he doesn't feel the same and just doesn't know how to tell me._ She'd been bouncing back and forth between various possibilities for the past two days, and it was making her a bit crazy. But it could just be the effects of her allergic reaction.

Jess' mood swings after an allergy attack were legendary in her family, almost as legendary as her hallucinations during the attacks. She'd been stung by a bee in the schoolyard just before the bell rang one morning when she was eight, and that night she burst into tears at the sight of the fruit salad her mother was serving for dinner. She kept saying that the colors were too bright, a fairly odd statement from a child dressed in turquoise at the time. Her mood swings had never lasted this long though; then again, she'd also never nearly died from an insect bite before.

A frown creased her brow as Jess put the teaspoon in the dishwasher and turned to leave the break room. Unfortunately, she turned directly into someone's chest, spilling her large mug of coffee down her dress. Grabbing a handful of paper napkins, she began dabbing at the large swatch of brown coffee covering her front.

"God, I'm sorry," she said, looking up for the first time, and found herself face to face with Captain Becker himself. It was as if he'd been drawn by her thoughts, and now of course she'd completely embarrassed herself. Thankfully, he only had a small stain on his shirt. At the moment though, he seemed more worried about her.

"Jess! Are you alright?" he asked, his hand under her elbow, looking concerned. _He's always so worried about me... Probably because I'm always making a fool of myself or getting into life-or-death situations_, she thought crabbily. _He must wish he could just stick me in a giant bubble so he could get on with other things without having to babysit me._

"Fine... I'm fine," she said, blushing and looking down at her ruined outfit. "I'm just gonna..."

She trailed off, not even bothering to finish the sentence before escaping, shaking off Becker's steadying hand.

Becker was left standing next to the puddle of coffee on the floor, holding the bright green mug she'd thrust into his hand at some point. If Jess had dared to look back, she would've seen him staring after her, looking completely baffled.


	2. Chapter 2

Abby was in her office above the menagerie, filling out some paperwork, Rex curled up on the desk beside her, basking in the glow of the desk lamp. Her mobile began vibrating atop the desk, the movement and lit screen drawing the sleepy lizard's attention. Abby picked it up, wondering why Jess was calling instead of just talking to her on the comms.

"Jess?" she answered, scratching Rex under his chin.

"Abby, thank God." She sounded near tears.

"What's wrong?" Abby asked, immediately tensing.

"Nothing, sorry. Well, nothing life threatening anyway. I just spilled coffee, and usually I have spare clothes, but I can't find them, and I made a fool of myself. I just had to bump into _him_! I've looked in my locker and they're not here, and I don't know what to do, and he was looking at me like a crazy -"

"Jess!" Abby said sharply, breaking off her friend's rambling attempt at an explanation. Jess wasn't making a lot of sense, but she was upset, and Abby had a strong suspicion as to who the 'him' in question might be.

"Sorry." Abby took a breath, then carefully added, "What can I do to help?"

"I'm covered in coffee and I have no clothes!" Jess wailed pitifully.

"OK, and you're in the locker room?"

"Uh hunh," Jess replied, sounding calmer now, but no happier.

"Go to my locker," Abby said evenly. "The combination is 36 - 28 - 14. There should at least be a clean shirt on the top shelf, and maybe a pair of jeans."

"Alright," Jess said, and a moment later Abby heard the metallic bang of the locker opening down the phone line.

"Do you need me to come down there?" Abby asked sympathetically.

"No," she said, sounding almost like her normal self again. "Thanks Abby."

"No problem."

Abby hung up the phone, tossing it onto her desk, and sighed. _Becker is an idiot, _she thought angrily. _She nearly died this week, she doesn't need any more stress. And now he's making her feel mortified and unloved._ Which was ridiculous. Anyone and everyone who spent more than five minutes in a room with the two of them could tell he was head over heels in love with Jess, and she with him.

Looking at Rex, who'd been watching her face throughout her conversation with Jess, Abby said aloud, "I think I'm going to shoot him before long if he keeps this up." Standing up, Abby headed for the armory, then turned after a few minutes and walked in the other direction, towards Matt's office.

* * *

><p>That afternoon, Lester called Becker into his office. Matt was already there, standing behind Lester's chair, arms crossed across his chest.<p>

"Ah, Becker," Lester said in his usual brusque manner. "A situation has been brought to my attention that requires your unique... skill set." He seemed the slightest bit uncomfortable now, not at all like Lester.

Becker assumed they needed him to shoot something. They were still repairing the ARC's systems, which had been badly damaged by both the beetles and the gamma wave. But Becker wasn't at all sure how he could help with that. He was practically a Luddite when it came to computers; he was happy to leave them to Jess, mostly because machines seemed to make her so happy.

Ever since the incident with the beetles, Becker wasn't sure what to do about Jess. He wasn't even sure she would remember their kiss afterward. And if she did, she obviously regretted it. The scene this morning in the break room was proof of that; she looked about ready to jump out of her skin at the mere sight of him, bolting out of the room almost immediately.

Snapping back to reality, Becker asked, "What is it, sir?"

"It seems you're compromising the mental stability of our field coordinator. I suggest you do something to remedy this. Soon."

"Sir?" Becker stood there, mouth agape. _What?_

"If I may," Matt said, speaking for the first time, the barest hint of a smirk on his lips, and Lester nodded almost imperceptibly. "What he means is that Jess fancies you, and it's time you pulled your head out of your arse and did something about it. Especially since you're just as crazy about her." All trace of a smile was gone as he added, "And if you hurt her, no time period will be safe for you, 'cause Abby's already assured me she'll hunt you down."

"Not quite the words I would've used," Lester said, half-turning toward Matt. "But I think the sentiment is the same nonetheless."

Becker, shocked, just opened and closed his mouth silently, looking in Matt's opinion a bit like a goldfish suddenly taken out of its bowl.

Lester just looked at him a moment before once again giving the papers on his desk his full attention. "That will be all, Captain."

Walking out of Lester's office, Becker felt a bit shell-shocked. Had he just be ordered to ask Jess out on a date?


	3. Chapter 3

Jess didn't remember ever being so grateful it was a Friday, and thus the start of the weekend, as she was that day. Not only that, but it was time to leave for the day, which meant she could go straight home and curl up in her bed for the next two days, wallowing in self pity. After her mortifying display in the break room, Jess hadn't seen Becker, and she didn't know whether to worry or be thankful.

At least this confirmed her suspicions - Becker didn't fancy her in that way, and she'd made a complete fool of herself the other day, throwing herself at him. _At least I can play it off as a side effect of the bite and the medication,_ she thought, trying to console herself.

Abby and Connor walked up to the ADD at that moment, and Jess grabbed her bag off the floor, anxious to leave. As they approached, Jess could see Abby's face filled with concern, while Connor just looked vaguely curious; clearly Abby hadn't shared Jess' earlier meltdown, for which she was eternally grateful.

"Isn't that your top Abby?" Connor asked, slightly confused.

"Don't ask," Jess said with a small sigh. She was indeed wearing a dark brown tank top of Abby's, along with a pair of her jeans. The only part of her original outfit that remained was her shoes.

Abby put a reassuring arm about her friend's waist, shooting Connor a glare over her head. To which Connor mouthed, _What?_ Abby just glared back at him, shaking her head in a classic _Shut up_ gesture.

"If you two are finished bickering over my head, can we go home now?" Jess said, the ghost of a smile on her lips.

The three roommates headed for the elevators, and Abby replied, "We never bicker. Connor's just an idiot."

"It's true," Connor said in a martyred voice as they stepped into the elevator. "I don't know how she puts up with me," he added to Jess in a stage whisper.

Jess chuckled, Abby's arm still comfortingly around her waist, grateful that they could so easily draw her into their banter, making her feel happy and included.


	4. Chapter 4

On Saturday afternoon, around one o'clock, after spending ten minutes in his truck outside her flat, Becker finally got out and walked up to Jess' front door. Said door opened just as he raised his hand to knock, and Abby appeared from behind it. Her look of surprise lasted no more than a second, soon replaced by what Becker considered to be an evil smirk. He shifted uncomfortably under the scrutiny for a few moments, then she seemed to take pity on him, and her smile turned genuine.

"Connor's out with his mate Duncan, comic book shopping or something, so he should be a while." Becker opened his mouth to explain, but Abby continued, "And it's my turn at the shopping. Go on up." She stepped around him, leaving the door open, and jerked her head at the door when Becker turned to follow her progress.

"See you in a bit, alright, Jess!" she shouted past him, then, with a wink, continued down the sidewalk, looking extremely pleased with herself.

Becker entered Jess' flat for the first time, shutting the front door quietly behind him, and walked silently up the steps. He soon found himself in an open kitchen, beyond which was the living room. And Jess.

She was flopped across the sofa facing him, a blanket pulled over her, one flannel-encased leg draped over the back, completely engrossed in the novel in her hand. Becker took a few more steps into the flat, and Jess said without looking up, "The shopping list's on the counter."

"What?" Becker replied, confused, before realizing she must think he was Abby.

* * *

><p>At the sound of Becker's all too familiar voice - in her kitchen! - Jess almost fell off the sofa in shock. She tried to sit up straight, got tangled in the blanket, and ended up lurching to her feet in a decidedly ungraceful manner.<p>

"What," she asked, straightening her faded t-shirt, 'Oxford' emblazoned across the front. "Um, what are you doing here?"

"Abby let me in," Becker said unhelpfully, pointing at the door. He seemed almost nervous. _Why is he here? In my kitchen! When I'm in my pajamas!_ At least she wasn't wearing his jacket. She'd worn it home the day she was bitten, and didn't notice until getting ready for bed that night.

When she got home from work the night before, after Chinese takeout with Connor and Abby, she pulled the black uniform jacket on over her pajamas, breathing in the lingering scent of gunpowder, aftershave, and Becker - the man she'd been crazy about since the first week of working with him. The same Becker who'd rejected her, not outright, just by avoiding her; obviously he didn't want to hurt her feelings. The same Becker who was now standing in her kitchen.

"I gathered that," she replied, her discomfort and confusion making her snippy. "But what are you doing here?"

"I, uh, I came over here to talk to you."

He looked decidedly uncomfortable now, avoiding her eye and shifting from foot to foot. _OK,_ Jess thought. _Here it comes, the 'it's not you, it's me, don't want to ruin our friendship' talk. I can handle this._ She tucked a few strands of hair that had escaped her ponytail behind her ears and smiled at him.

"OK, well sit down," she said, gesturing at the chair adjacent to the sofa. "Do you want a cup of tea?"

He shook his head, walking over, and Jess sat back down, this time on the edge of the cushion, nervous. To Jess' surprise, Becker sat down next to her on the sofa.

"Jess, about the other day," he said, turning to her. "How much do you remember?"

"Um, I remember you carrying me about and yelling at me a lot," she said, grinning, but noticed he winced. "No, you were nice really. And I might've shot a tiger at one point, but I'm fairly certain that didn't really happen."

Becker chuckled. "Don't be so sure."

Jess laughed aloud, surprised. And pleased that so far somehow they'd managed to avoid the awkwardness she knew was coming.

"But I meant afterwards, after we got you the adrenaline."

* * *

><p>Becker looked over at Jess, and noticed the pink creeping into her cheeks. <em>God, she's beautiful, even when she blushes. Especially then.<em> It would seem that she did remember the kiss, and was embarrassed by it.

"Listen Jess, I'm really sorry. I wasn't trying to, I mean, I don't want you to think I was... trying to... take advantage of the situation..."

"No, I know!" Jess said quickly, turning a brighter shade of red with each passing second. "I didn't think you were. You're too much of a gentleman." _Some gentleman, _he thought, _jumping on a coworker when she's drugged._ "If anything I was the one who-"

"What?" Becker said. "You weren't responsible for your actions. I was."


	5. Chapter 5

"You weren't responsible for your actions. I was."

_Of course, _Jess thought. _He's going to blame himself for this too, like he does everything else._ Suddenly she was angry.

"I knew what I was doing, Becker!"

As soon as the words were out, she wanted them back. _I did __**not**__ just say that. Out loud._ But judging by the look on Becker's face, she had. Jess bit her lip, looking down at her hands, which were twisting the fabric of her flannel pajamas anxiously. Suddenly, she heard Becker's laugh. She looked up, angry that he was laughing at her.

"No, I'm not," he said between fits of laughter. "I'm not... laughing... at you. I'm just... the whole thing is..."

After a moment, the humor in the situation got through the humiliation Jess was feeling, and she joined in. Their laughter subsided, and silence descended. Tense, uncomfortable silence.

"Are you sure you don't want a cup of tea?" Jess asked desperately, jumping to her feet.

"Jessica, are you planning to poison this tea or something?" Becker asked, eyebrow arched.

She crossed her arms. "I haven't decided yet." She sat back on the sofa, slightly more comfortable now.

"I wouldn't blame you. I've been a bit of an idiot lately."

"Lately?" Jess turned to him, eyebrows raised, her head resting atop the back of the sofa.

Becker elbowed her lightly, leaning back in imitation of her.

* * *

><p>"So," Jess said, after a few more moments' silence. <em>She cannot handle silence,<em> Becker thought with a smile. "What have we decided happened the other day? When we..."

"Pounced on each other?" Becker supplied. "I think we decided that we were both trying to take advantage of the other."

_Though she'd hardly need to take advantage of me,_ he thought. _I rarely see her without wanting to kiss her._ Something of this must've shown on his face, because Jess ducked her head, blushing.

"Jess," he said quietly. "You aren't on any mind-altering medications at the moment, are you?"

She looked at him in surprise, then, seeing the look in his eye, shook her head silently.

* * *

><p>Jess was completely captivated by the look in his eyes. Becker reached over to brush a strand of hair behind her ear, and she instinctively leaned into his touch. He cupped her cheek in his hand, just looking at her, and all Jess could think about was the possibility that he might actually like her. That she might've misread the events of the last few days.<p>

She never used to be so self-conscious around men. She'd always had a rather active social life. Then she'd begun working at the ARC. Then she'd met Captain Becker. And suddenly none of the other guys she went out with could measure up.

Then Becker leaned towards her, and Jess stopped thinking altogether.

* * *

><p>The kiss turned from soft and sweet to demanding in a second, all the feelings they'd been suppressing for nearly two years rising to the surface. Jess' arms twined about Becker's neck, and his hand was in her hair, while the other had somehow found its way to the skin of her back under her t-shirt. Jess leaned back into the sofa, pulling Becker along with her.<p>

"Abby!" Jess whispered suddenly, and Becker gave her an odd look. "She's only out to do the shopping. And Connor could walk in any moment."

Becker smiled, leaning over her, a lock of hair across his forehead giving him a boyish look.

"I shouldn't worry. Abby said he'd be gone awhile, something about comic books. And I think she may find other things to do."

Jess sighed as understanding hit her, even as a grin pulled at her lips. "Abby is the nosiest person I've ever lived with. She's worse than my sister." She thought a moment. "Well, Connor's the worst actually. He's secretly a teenage girl, you know."

Becker snorted at that. "That's something I could do without thinking of."

He shifted so he was lying across the sofa beside Jess, and she snuggled against his chest. "You know, I wouldn't be surprised if they all planned this. Yesterday, when Lester called me into his office, it was about you."

Jess looked up, curious.

"He and Matt pretty much demanded that I do something about you and I. Threats were even involved."

Jess smiled inwardly at the idea of anyone successfully threatening Becker.

"So is that why you came over today?" she said, poking him in the ribs.

"Ow!" Becker gave her a mock pained look. "No, but it was kind of funny."

"They're worse than a pair of matchmaking old ladies."

"They just care about you is all," Becker said.

"They care about being right."

"That too," Becker replied with a chuckle.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: SPOILER(ish) Just finished watching 5.6. Was anyone else sitting there like, "Huh?" at the end? Or was that just me?**


	6. Chapter 6

Several hours later, back in his own flat, Becker found himself watching Jess as she slept. She looked so peaceful, but somehow something of the joyful, active Jess was still clearly visible, just beneath the surface. That something, whatever it was, hadn't been there a few days before. It was as if Jess, whatever made her her own insane self, had been slipping away with each passing moment without medication, and that had scared the hell out of him. Becker instinctively pulled her small body closer to himself, protecting her.

They'd spent most of the afternoon on Jess' sofa, talking and laughing. Jess was her own carefree self again, the tension of the last few days draining away, for which Becker was grateful. That evening, after Jess had changed into what she called 'real clothes,' she'd left a note for Abby on the counter in the kitchen and they'd gone out. They'd ended up at Becker's favorite restaurant for dinner, a tiny, half-hidden Italian place, and Jess had been delighted, as though he were sharing a secret with her. Which he supposed he was.

It turned out that they didn't know much about each other outside of work, and reading each others' files. He'd read hers just after meeting her, telling himself it was because he had his doubts about someone so young and seemingly inexperienced coordinating his team, but mostly he'd just been curious how such an out-going, spirited girl found her way into a top secret government job. And while she'd once insisted that she hadn't read any of the 'personal bits' of his file, there had been a telltale blush on her cheeks as she said it.

Over dinner, Becker learned that Jess had dreamed of becoming a pop star when she was eight, something her sisters still teased her about. Jess seemed to have an overabundance of siblings.

"So how many siblings is too many?" he asked.

"I have three sisters, two older and one younger, and a younger brother. What about you?"

"No siblings. Only child."

"Lucky," she said, smiling. "Well, you're welcome to any of mine you like. They were awful growing up. Shannon, my oldest sister, managed to convince me I was adopted once. She was on dish duty for a month when Mum found out."

He joined in with her laughter, but couldn't help but notice the almost pitying look she gave him. He'd never considered himself unfortunate in any way; growing up, he rather liked not having any siblings to deal with. There was no sense in denying he'd been a bit of a loner as a child. His father traveled a lot with the military, and Becker went to boarding school when he was eight, and that had been that. He always just thought that was the way things were. If he thought about it at all. But now, hearing Jess talk so affectionately about the adventures she and her siblings had had growing up, and still had even now - as all but one of them still lived in London - Becker couldn't help but feel a bit envious.

"So what do they think you do exactly?" Becker asked, and Jess' face fell. Clearly, her family was a close one, and she obviously hated lying to them.

"Well, they know that I work for the government and that I can't talk about my job, so they don't really ask much. They think I just work in the tech department of some bureaucratic branch or other." She smiled sadly, and Becker regretted asking the question.

"Tommy did ask me once if I worked for MI-5," she said after a moment. "But he's an idiot," she added fondly.

* * *

><p>One could only learn so much from working with someone, just as one could only learn so much from files, even the ARC files. So, while Jess knew that Becker, after Sandhurst, had been stationed in Indonesia and Afghanistan; that he went to the same Greek sandwich shop everday for lunch; and that he liked his coffee black, but cream and sugar in his tea; she realized she didn't really know that much about Becker himself. Nor did he know much about her.<p>

Becker was just so guarded all the time, as though divulging any personal information was tantamount to a breach of national security. That night however, his guard seemed to be lowering, just a bit. The military was a big part of his life, but he had friends outside the ARC that he spent time with. Granted, they were all soldiers as well, but she supposed that's what happened when raised on a succession of army bases. He came from a military family (_big surprise_, she thought), and had never really considered another career.

"I don't know, I think you'd have made a fine therapist." He stared at her. "If anyone came in with anger management issues, you'd just hand them a shotgun and send them down the firing range."

Becker's surprised laugh filled the air.


	7. Chapter 7

After dinner, they'd gone back to Becker's flat to avoid Jess' roommates, and now, although it was past two in the morning, Becker couldn't sleep. It was as if, should he fall asleep, he'd wake up to find Jess still avoiding him like the plague. Or worse, he'd wake to find out that he hadn't been fast enough, that she hadn't gotten adrenaline in time. So he just lay there, while Jess slept on next to him, shifting occasionally.

Sometime in the night, when Becker was hovering on the edge of sleep, Jess began tossing and turning again. Becker pulled her closer, kissing the top of her head and shushing her. He traced lazy circles across the skin of her back with his fingers, and his eyes drifted closed again. She calmed for a long while, then said something that sounded like distinctly like 'turnips' before her eyes flew open.

* * *

><p>Jess woke up in the night to find Becker staring at her with the oddest look on his face. Sleepy and confused, she stared back.<p>

"Turnips," he said, the word almost a question.

"What?" Jess asked, very confused now. _What the hell is he talking about?_

"You just said 'turnips.'"

"No I didn't. _You_ did," Jess replied, wondering if people could talk in their sleep with their eyes open. If they could, Becker was definitely doing just that. "Are you having a craving or something?"

Becker continued to stare at her as if she were mad, and she gave him the same look. After a moment, he chuckled and hugged her.

"There _is_ something wrong with you," she said, snuggling against his chest, one arm draped across him.

"I wasn't the one muttering about veg in my sleep, Jessica. And didn't you tell me once that you were pleasantly crazy?"

"Yes, but you love me anyway," Jess replied, smiling.

"Yeah yeah." Becker was silent for a long time, and Jess started to think he'd gone back to sleep, when he added, "I do, you know."

"I know."


End file.
